


Realizations and Redemptions (Gabenath Ship Week)

by Scribbling Mama (melgibson87)



Series: The Making of Adrinette [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Boss/Employee Relationship, Casual Friday, Day Off, Ex-lovers to lovers again, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Gabenath Ship Week, Gabriel Agreste redemption, Go akumatize yourself, Hawk Moth is Gabriel Agreste, Lovers to Friends, Prequel, Role Swap, Silence, administrative assistant's day, gabenath, hawknath, more than friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2019-06-27 02:28:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15676182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melgibson87/pseuds/Scribbling%20Mama
Summary: Gabriel Agreste is a powerful man in Paris, some even say the world. He's the biggest fashion mogul the world's seen in years, especially when it comes to Parisian couture. He's also the supervillain, Hawk Moth. He has what most would want: money, prestige, a good son, and the perfect image. One day, he's given one piece of paper that changes everything. No longer does the money, prestige, and even the perfect image matter to him. He wants to do better for those he cares about from his son to the only other woman who's put up with him over the years. Can he make things right with Nathalie before it's too late?





	1. A Piece of Paper Changes Everything

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a prequel to The Making of Adrinette. As it stands, it can be read alone or it can be read with the main story. It won't give away all the secrets of the main story, but a few spoilers may happen in the coming days as the relationship between Gabriel and Nathalie change.

 

Gabriel clutched the doctor's report in his hand, his brow furrowed. He'd read the words until he'd memorized them. Despite having done so, he refused to believe what they meant for him, for his business, and for his family. 

Adrien. Nathalie. Lawrence. Emilie.

Each one came to him, unbidden. 

How could this have happened to him? He hadn't wanted this. No, it wasn't supposed to happen this way. 

Clenching the report in his hand, he curled his fingers into a fist, the paper making a satisfying crumpling noise. He wouldn't accept the doctor's diagnosis. They'd been wrong about his leg after his accident the previous year. They were wrong about this. 

A tap on the office door brought his attention from the window's where he stood, his gaze unseeing moments ago.

"Sir, I have those documents you requested from HR." Nathalie stood in the doorway, a large file in her hand. "Is there a reason you requested these particular documents? Something I should know about?"

He exhaled, shaking his head. "Not at this time, Nathalie. Is that all?"

"Yes, sir." She moved into the room, dropping the file on his wooden desk, a new addition to the room. A change he'd been forced to make after he'd crushed his leg in an accident the previous year. Neither of them discussed the wooden desk's appearance in his office or the podium's removal. 

"Thank you, Nathalie. You're free to go," he whispered, his mind too full on the words from that damned report.

He heard the soft clicking of her heels as she moved toward the office door. He didn't hear the door click shut, causing him to turn and find her standing in the doorway. She stared at him with an openly concerned expression for him, something that surprised him. She rarely allowed her emotions to show for anyone, especially him with good reason. She needed the best poker face when she worked for Gabriel Agreste, fashion mogul and idol of the world and Paris's greatest supervillain, Hawk Moth.

"Sir, I know it's not my business, but I'm here if you need to talk." 

"Thank you." He turned back to the window, his vision still too full of the doctor's words to take in the activity beyond the wall of his home. He didn't see the cars heading home from long days at the office, husbands and wives rushing home to one another, children racing home for dinner with their parents. None of it came to him as his world darkened with those few words he'd read.

A soft hand on his arm startled him enough to jump, resulting in a shooting pain down his bum leg. 

"I apologize, sir."

"What is it now, Nathalie?" He hadn't meant to growl at her, but the pain had sucked the breath right out of him. He struggled to regain his earlier momentum but lost the battle as his leg threatened to buckle under him.

She moved to support him, taking on his weight without complaint and leading him to the plush chair he'd bought to go with the wooden desk. Having him settled, she reached into a top drawer and pulled out the bottle of pills the doctor had given him, shaking one out and handing it to him with a glass of water. 

When he recovered enough to speak in his normal blase tone, he asked, "Why didn't you leave me all those years ago?"

Her lips curled into a soft smile, her eyes almost fond as she recalled that day without further prompting. It wasn't like either had ever forgotten how feisty and angry she'd been that day or how much he'd deserved her wrath.

"Well, sir, I knew you needed me more than you'd ever admit. Besides, I had other reasons for staying."

Without missing a beat, Gabriel said, "Adrien."

"Well, yes, sir. He needed me, too. Still does though not as much lately."

Gabriel's mind turned toward his son for a moment, considering how much Adrien had changed over the years. The younger Agreste was still respectful and kind to an almost fault to others, but he'd blossomed under the care of his friends, especially one young lady though Adrien took great pains to keep his feelings about that particular friend under tight control. Gabriel couldn't help but wonder why his son fought so hard against those feelings, pondering if he was the reason for his son's reticence. He dismissed that thought as another came to him almost simultaneously. He smiled. If his hunch was correct, then his son was in for a major surprise on that score.

"You should slow down, sir. Your leg will never heal with your current workload." She sank down onto the edge of his desk as she spoke, hoping to gain some knowledge of him he had no intention of giving her.

"It's not going to get better, Nathalie. We both know that." He rubbed at his knee, trying to still the ache concentrating in the joint before massaging at the muscles above it. 

"Well, I guess you could go and akumatize yourself again." 

He looked up at her, his eyes widening as he realized she'd dared to tease him. Both with the memory of the first time she'd said that and with her knowledge of who he was. He hadn't known she'd possessed such a dark humor and finding he really liked it.

If he was perfectly honest with himself, there was a lot about Nathalie that he liked. More than he should. 

"Stay the night with me, Nathalie." He reached up and brushed aside the red streak she wore in her hair, gazing into her eyes and finding the reticence she felt. "Please, stay. I'm better when you're around."

She coughed, hiding the laugh threatening to burst through her at his words. "We both know that's not exactly true, sir."

"Maybe, maybe not." He watched his hand as it trekked from her hair to her cheek, his fingertips grazing at the smooth skin there. He couldn't imagine how she'd managed to remain such youthfulness when she worked in such a stressful position as his right hand. He knew he wasn't an easy man to live with. He even accepted it until recently. "I'd still like you to stay the night. We can order from that place you like so much."

"What about Adrien, sir?"

"He won't care. He'll believe you're staying late for work. There's no reason to disillusion him of that belief." His hand had come to rest on her shoulder, his thumb caressing the exposed skin of her neck. He could feel her pulse racing under his seeking thumb, his gaze never straying from hers as he waited for her answer.

She didn't say anything for several moments, her face almost expressionless as she raged an internal debate. Her only tell was the small tick of one corner of her mouth, a sign that could mean Gabriel was about to win in the greatest way or that she was about to throw him a major curveball. 

As her mouth twitched into a smile, he thought surely he'd won this round with her. 

She rose from her perch on his desk, leaning down so their faces were mere inches from one another. Her lips looked enticing as she parted them to speak, Gabriel having forgotten what they tasted like in the past months. He'd been too focused on other matters. He needed to make amends for that with her. 

"Sir, that sounds nice enough," she began, her smile transforming into a wicked gleam as she stood to her full height and spun away. Over her shoulder, she finished by saying, "but I think you go akumatize yourself after all. Have a good evening, sir."

She waved once as she exited the office, the door closing with a sharp snap behind her. 

He smiled despite himself. 

The spitfire had won this round with him.


	2. Administrative Assistant's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The necklace that's mentioned in this story can be found [here](https://www.chaumet.com/high-jewellery/josephine-collection/josephine-aigrette-imperiale-necklace-083128).

 

Nathalie walked toward her desk the following morning, a smile playing across her lips as she recalled the previous evening and her swift and satisfying refusal of Gabriel's request. She couldn't deny the feelings she felt toward her employer, but she'd grown weary in the past several months of bending over for him. 

He'd grown surly in recent months, much more than his normal state. He'd been far more secretive, too. 

If she hadn't known better, then she would've thought he was going back to being Hawk Moth, looking to rip the miraculous jewelry from Paris's superheroes. She hadn't seen any signs of akumas in the coming days, breathing easier when almost two weeks had passed without a single incident. She wanted him to continue his streak of remaining only Gabriel, not adding Hawk Moth to the mix again. 

As she approached her desk in the mansion's gallery, she noted a professionally wrapped package sitting on her blotter. Curious, she pulled out her tablet, wondering if she'd missed any significant occasions that warranted a present being sent out by Gabriel or Adrien. She quickly crossed Adrien off her mental list since he'd taken to giving his presents out personally. 

Her gaze swept over her empty calendar though there had to be something significant about the date. Typing it into her web browser, she soon found the cause for the gift, her smile blossoming a bit more. 

Administrative Assistant's Day.

Adrien had discovered the holiday a few years back when he'd been studying current events in other countries. He'd brought her all this research about the day, wondering if she'd ever received anything from his father to show appreciation for all the work she did for both Agreste men. He hadn't been too pleased when he learned she hadn't gotten anything ever. 

A few days later, he'd presented her with a handmade coin bag, knitted by his designer friend as a request by him. He'd looked so hopeful when he'd given it to her, knowing it was merely a small token without significant material wealth to it. That look had been enough for her to thank him quietly as she poured out the few coins she kept in her purse for emergencies and drop them into the bag he'd commissioned for her. 

He promised he'd do better for her the following year. He hadn't disappointed, either. He'd kept up the tradition, too, getting her something the past few years. 

She didn't know what she'd done to deserve having Adrien in her life. His sweetness almost too good for the likes of her and his father, she knew. 

Setting down her purse, she picked up the smallish box and gingerly slid her finger under the wrapping. She took care with the paper, wanting to save a piece for the small scrapbook she kept. She'd begun making it, shortly after Emilie had disappeared from their lives. She wouldn't lie about missing the Agreste matriarch, her friend and ally against Gabriel in the early days of building his fashion empire. She planned on giving the book to Adrien one day, something for him to remember the better times after his mother disappeared. Sadly, the book wasn't as thick as she'd like it to be, but that appeared to be changing.

The paper slid away once she'd broken through the two pieces of tape used to secure it around the box. Her eyes widening as she took in the blue box of the well-known jeweler, Chaumet. She almost dropped it in her surprise at the idea Adrien would spend such an exorbitant amount on her rather than a young woman of their mutual acquaintance. 

Taking a deep breath, she expelled it and nearly forgot to inhale again as she took in the diamond necklace within. She counted over twenty diamonds with a large pear-shaped ruby at the center.

"Oh."

She set the box down, glaring at the expensive piece and debating how to explain it wasn't an appropriate gift for an assistant, regardless of some other country's holiday or not. 

Even if she could accept such a gift, she hadn't an occasion to wear it. Gabriel had knocked down the number of their social engagements and her requirement to attend to only a handful throughout the year. None of them required attire that would go well with the necklace now resting on her desk in its gorgeous blue box.

"I thought the ruby would match your streak well. I'm pleased to find I was correct in that assumption."

She whirled to find Gabriel leaning against his office door, a smirk curving his lips as he regarded her. 

"This is from you?" She couldn't quite manage anything else in her surprise. "All these years, you've never cared to partake in the holiday."

He shrugged. "A mistake I plan to rectify now. Do you like it? I can exchange it for a sapphire or emerald if you'd prefer them over the ruby?"

"The ruby is fine, sir." Her knees trembled despite her dire threats they hold her up. She couldn't allow him to see how much the necklace had affected her. She didn't know what game he had planned for her, but she wasn't about to let her guard down after her refusal the night before. "Why the change of mind?"

She resisted the urge to back up when he pushed away from the door and walked toward her, his limp hardly noticeable from a night's rest. He encroached in her personal space, closing the gap enough to hike up her discomfort at his nearness. She tried to remind herself she didn't want him near her because he was her employer and he wasn't a good man by any means, but that ship sailed long ago. She didn't want him near her because he still managed to affect her unlike any other man had in her past. 

His hands left his sides, rising until they came to the collar of her suit coat, adjusting it to even out the points. His fingers grazing the sides of her neck in the process. Even after he completed the adjustments, his hands remained near her shoulders, his eyes warming as they met hers. 

In a low voice, he admitted, "More like a change of heart, Nathalie."

She didn't say anything. She couldn't. He'd bested her this round, but she knew the war between them wasn't over. 

She just wished she knew what they were fighting for.


	3. Role Reversal

 

Gabriel hadn't a clue what had happened as he stirred in his bed, fairly sure he'd been working in his office not ten minutes ago. As he opened his eyes and focused on the softness of his bed, the lightweight sheets covering him were less concerning than the woman sitting on the edge of his bed, monitoring him. 

"Nathalie, why are you in my room?" He fought to sit up, finding his voice lacked the haughty element he preferred when he remained stretched out. He hated the vulnerable position, working hard to rectify it. At least, he would if his arms would cooperate. Why couldn't he get them to do what he wanted? 

"I found you slumped over your desk, sir. I had Lawrence carry you up here before Adrien woke up. You were lucky he didn't discover you like that." She shook her head, her gaze meeting his briefly. Her mouth tightened for a moment as though she might be trying to control some errant emotion she didn't want him to see. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong with you? I can't help you keep this secret if I don't know what's going on."

He couldn't meet her eyes. How could he tell her what the doctors had said? How could he tell her anything when he still hadn't come to terms with the diagnosis given? He couldn't. He wouldn't. 

With a sigh, he settled for a half-truth, saying, "I must've fallen asleep. You know we have that merger taking place in a few months. I can't have our operations interrupted because the new employees aren't familiar with my policies and requirements for their new positions."

"Hmm." She stood and walked over to the sitting area, picking up a tray of food she'd had prepared for him. Setting it over his lap, she helped him sit up and commanded, "Eat, sir. You'll need your strength if you think that blatant lie will suffice this time."

He spluttered at the audacity of her accusation. When had she gotten so bold? He'd have to handle that soon if he wanted to maintain control in their business relationship. Even when they'd had a personal relationship, she'd never spoken so with him. He needed to nip this quick.

She continued as if she hadn't spoken to him like a child, "I'll be in the office if you need me, sir. Call the kitchen when you're done. The chef will send his assistant for the tray. If you need me, just call me." 

The spoonful of oatmeal he'd been about to eat froze near his mouth, his eyes widening at her audacity to peek through again. 

She turned at the door, her mouth curved in a smirk. "Oh, and, sir? Don't need me."

"Nathalie," he hollered as she walked out of the room, her laughter following her. 

He tried to follow her, recalling the tray as it teetered precariously over his lap. He caught it a moment before his coffee cup could topple and coat him with the hot liquid, ruining his sheets and burning him. 

He grumbled his misfortune in being at her mercy. He'd made sure to never be at anyone's mercy, not since his wife's. Even then, he'd still maintained control of himself and her commands of him, allowing only a small amount of her fawning before he set her away. 

This couldn't stand. He wouldn't allow it.

 

00000

 

Nathalie returned to her desk, turning on the camera system and finding both Agreste men where she expected them: in bed. She turned them off again, never caring to spy on either one, unlike her employer. She'd never understood Gabriel's obsession with such measures, believing them too extreme even for the danger his family's faced in the past. She wouldn't be party to it, not any longer if she could help it. She had plans on disabling the camera in Adrien's room upon his eighteenth birthday with or without Gabriel's approval. 

Picking up her tablet, she went over the notes she'd made the previous day, prioritizing them for her morning and afternoon. The next ten minutes had always been her favorite time of the workday. The planning session helped to calm her, give her a distraction from all the secrets she'd been forced to keep over the last few years. 

The intercom buzzed as she put the final task on her schedule for the day.

Sighing, she pressed the button. "Yes, sir?"

"I need you."

"For what, sir?"

"Just get up here, Nathalie. I'm still your boss." Gabriel's voice had risen as he spoke, his agitation growing out of hand as he fought against her sudden defiance.

She smiled as she said in a sickly sweet voice, "Not today, sir."

"What does that mean?" He'd managed to sound somewhat normal albeit a little hesitant.

"You're not ordinarily a fool, sir. I think you know exactly what it means. If you need help moving around, I'll be happy to send Lawrence to aid you." She stifled the laughter trying to escape again as she imagined the shocked expression on his face.

"I don't want or need Lawrence. I need you. Now, get up here and assist me." 

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm a bit busy today, running your company and keeping the doors open. It's Lawrence or the chef's assistant. The housekeeper is too frightened to come near you." She paused, wondering if she should continue this little game. A thought had her pressing the intercom again, adding, "Or I could send in Adrien. I'm sure he's still dutiful enough to help you. Though, I fear that would punish him more than you."

"You're fired." His voice held little vehemence, coming back a moment later to say, "Send Lawrence. You win this round, but don't expect to win the next."

"I wouldn't dream of it, sir." 

Letting go of the intercom button, she jumped as she caught Adrien standing on the other side of her desk. When had he woken up? Surely, it hadn't been that long since she'd checked on him, noting his high-end clothing and confused expression.

"What's going on?"

With a smile, she hurried to assure the younger Agreste, knowing he didn't need the details of her battle with his father. "Your father is feeling a bit under the weather. I was updating him on a few business aspects while he rests for the day. Do you have everything you need for school today? Anything I should note in your schedule for this week?"

Adrien shook his head, moving toward the front door and waving as he disappeared outside.

She'd forgotten Lawrence would be driving Adrien to school that morning. 

Oh, well, Gabriel could wait a few extra minutes, she thought, her hand reaching out to boot up her computer. She had a business to run as her boss recovered from whatever ailed him.

The thought slowed her. 

What was wrong with him?

Why wouldn't he tell her?

Turning to his office door, she vowed to find out, pushing the door open and walking inside.


	4. The Cold War aka Silent Treatment

 

A week had passed since the incident. Neither mentioned it or anything for that matter. A cold war had broken out between the older Agreste and his assistant. Neither was willing to admit defeat, either.

Nathalie worked on Gabriel's schedule on the opposite side of his office door, knowing and relatively uncaring he was still sore about being at Lawrence's mercy rather than hers. She'd been too invested in discovering answers about his secrets to care if he was inconvenienced. 

Sadly, she didn't get them either. Her search of his office that day had turned up nothing useful. The paper she'd glimpsed in his hand had disappeared, presumably tossed or burned. She'd been kept in the dark, much like the beginning days of his reign as Hawk Moth. She didn't like it, not one bit. She'd tried to get him to answer her questions, working towards subtlety but he evaded each one. She cursed the day he'd become used to her tactics and out-maneuvering her at each turn.

She had no intention of giving up though, hence the cold war that had begun between them. 

A chime from her phone startled her, her eyes glancing down at the name lighting up the screen.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

She smiled, unlocking the screen and tapping on the text bubble.

MDC: Hi, Mme Sancoeur. I was hoping you might be able to clear Adrien's afternoon this coming Friday.

NS: Nathalie, please. Adrien's friends are able to use my first name. What's planned for this occasion, Marinette?

MDC: Nino, Alya and I want to take Adrien to this new exhibit at the museum. It's a history of anime. We think he'll love it. Can he go? It opens that day.

Nathalie pulled up Adrien's schedule, frowning as she noted the photo shoot for the afternoon in question. She glanced at the information for the shoot, learning the photographer wasn't a favorite of Adrien's or hers for that matter. Tapping on the shoot's info, she emailed the photographer of the necessary changes they needed to make to Adrien's schedule, citing an unforeseeable schedule conflict, effectively clearing that afternoon.

The young man deserved to have some fun with his friends, she thought as she picked up her phone again.

NS: As it happens, he's free that day. Take him and enjoy the exhibit. 

MDC: Thank you, Nathalie. You're the best.

The smile lasted for the next half hour, imagining the fun Adrien would have with his friends that day. 

Her office line ringing soon had that smile disappearing as the photographer spoke on the other end. She spent the next ten minutes calming him down and apologizing for the inconvenience to his schedule. She urged him to find another client in the future as they wouldn't have need of him based on past performances and his current attitude since they'd given him plenty of notice. Having said her piece, she hung up, not interested in hearing the curses he spat at her.

Before her smile could return, she happened to glance up and catch Gabriel watching her. 

She quirked a brow at him, waiting to see if he broke the cold war.

He merely stared at her a few more moments before returning to his office.

Expelling a breath, Nathalie's hands shook the slightest bit as she realized how much she'd missed him. They'd been working side by side for the past week yet hadn't spoken two words to one another. Neither wanted to lose to the other as they continued their game, trying to outwit the other. She'd grown weary over the past week. She didn't even know what the prize was for winning this game. 

Frankly, she didn't want to play any longer, not when it meant they both lost in the end.

Standing, she grabbed her tablet, drawing comfort in its weight against her arm and walked toward the office door. 

She never got the chance to knock.

Gabriel had wrenched the door open and stood on the other side, his eyes widening as he caught her standing frozen before him.

"Nathalie?"

"Gabriel?" 

Both spoke at the same time, falling silent as they waited for the other to continue.

Realizing her mistake, warmth spread into her cheeks. She hadn't meant to call him by his first name. She hadn't done it since they'd parted ways as lovers a couple years back. 

His fingers brushing at her side-swept streak brought her gaze to his as he whispered, "I've missed you."

"Me, too, sir." She took a step forward. "Me, too."


	5. Nathalie Confronts Hawk Moth

A shift in their relationship had taken place upon the end of their cold war. 

Gabriel hadn't a clue what that shift meant, but he knew it'd happened. No longer did he care to fight Nathalie every inch of the way. Oh, he knew battles would still happen. Both of them were often too stubborn to back down when challenged, but that need to win by any means had dissipated.

It was the reason he kept his distance from his secret lair.

He didn't want to fight with Nathalie, not anymore. Becoming Hawk Moth would start a fight, knowing how she felt about that particular side of him.

He'd succeeded, too, in staying away for a while, but that day, he stood looking at his wife's portrait, staring into her lovely eyes for far longer than he usually allowed himself. Memories of their time together washing over him as he sighed his resignation and punched in the keys to open the hidden portal to his other domain.

Taking the extra precautions necessary, he'd locked his office door, not wanting Nathalie, or Adrien especially, to walk in and discover him where he wasn't supposed to be.

Entering the dark room, he caught the soft glow of his little butterflies as they flapped their wings or flitted about as light hit them.

"Nooroo, come to me," Gabriel said with a softened voice, his usual briskness absent as he awaited the kwami's arrival in front of him.

"Yes, master?" Nooroo hovered near him though kept his distance.

Gabriel frowned at the kwami's nervousness and wondered at it for a few moments. Deciding he needed to return to his office soon, he tabled that particular line of questioning for another time. 

"We have some matters to discuss."

"Yes, master." Nooroo moved closer, almost knowing what Gabriel had prepared to do and resigning himself to that fact. 

Calling upon his transformation, Gabriel allowed the magic to wash over him. 

He opened his eyes a moment later and glanced down at the familiar, almost comforting suit of his alter ego. With the push of a button, the window's shutter pulled away, showing him one of the best views of Paris. A stray thought of showing Nathalie the view flitted before he shoved it away, knowing she wouldn't want to be near this place.

Taking up one of his little butterflies, he filled it with an energy, watching the white wings slowly morph into a sparkling purple. He whispered his intent to the akuma and sent it on its way, waiting for the magic to find its mark in the city before him.

The connection came mere minutes later.

Gabriel smiled and opened his mouth to speak, but no words came.

A low-heeled shoe smacked into the back of his head, a grunt escaping him in response.

"Call it back, Gabriel. Right now or so help me." Nathalie's words brooked no argument as she glared at him. 

Knowing he couldn't and wouldn't, he sent her a pained expression before turning back to the akuma's chosen victim and began his normal spiel.

"My name is Hawk Moth and I'd like to grant you your greatest desire. In exchange, I need something from you in return." He glanced back and sighed, knowing he'd hurt his chances again yet needing to handle this on his own. 

She'd walked away, ignoring the shoe that remained near him. She'd simply kicked off the other and turned on her heel, going the same way she'd come. She walked with her back straight and her head high, more for her benefit than his. He'd hurt her, but she'd be damned if she showed him. He knew her too well for that.

The time would come for her to have answers, but that time wasn't yet. 


	6. Casual Friday

 

_A week and a few days before the beginning of The Making of Adrinette._

Gabriel stepped out of his office early one morning and frowned, his gaze traveling over the attire Nathalie had chosen to wear.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked, his hands gripping the file in his hands tight.

She spared him a glance, her gaze dropping back to her tablet a moment later. Her mouth didn't so much as twitch as she answered in a neutral tone, "If you can call upon Hawk Moth, then I can decide to implement casual Fridays at the company. I sent out the memo on Monday. Did you not get it, sir?"

"I guess not." His voice faded as he continued to stare at her. He'd messed up. He knew he had yet he didn't know how to make it up to her. He could tell her the truth, he supposed, but that would open up more questions than he wanted to answer. He opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted him with a cool gaze.

"Look, it's not my business. It never was. You've made that clear." She sighed as her gaze dropped back to her tablet and continued in a softer voice, "I just hope you know what you're doing, sir, for all our sakes." 

"I'm sorry, Nathalie." He moved back into his office, closing the door behind, missing the shock that filled her face as he turned his back. 

Sinking down into his chair, he stared at the office he'd called his own for so long. His gaze traveled over the portraits of his son in various poses over the years, perfection as he'd expected no less from Adrien. He lingered over the younger man's features, seeing the sadness behind the professional smile and wondered why his son hadn't approached him. He'd known for some time his son hated modeling yet kept insisting because Adrien didn't say anything.

"If he hated it, he'd tell me." The words left him without intent, yet they mocked him as he continued to sit there. He knew better, but he didn't have the drive to change the status quo. 

He thought about the shoot he had Nathalie schedule for Adrien the next weekend. The new ad was also set to release that same morning, his mind recalling the last time an ad had released. His son's life had been turned upside for several days, fans bombarding him and even chasing him around the city. He could only hope that wouldn't happen this time yet feared he might be wrong. 

Shoving the thoughts aside, he ignored his wife's portrait, knowing she wouldn't approve and yet he couldn't bring himself to change. It didn't matter that she'd fought so hard for Adrien to have a normal life, even disappearing to keep them safe. 

"Sir?" Nathalie asked over the intercom.

"What is it?" He wasn't sure he could handle the other woman in his life at that moment. She pushed buttons that hadn't been pressed since before Emilie left. He almost resented Nathalie for knowing those same buttons existed and pressed them whenever she needed to garner his acquiescence. 

"The photographer for the next shoot is on the line for you, sir." She clicked off.

He wanted to call her back and ask if she'd handle it, but he knew her answer. With a sigh, he picked up the phone and proceeded to handle whatever crisis the other man faced, a headache already starting at his temple.

Nathalie came into the room as he hung up, her jean-clad legs looking far more enticing to him than any of her skirts or pantsuits had ever done. 

Coughing to cover his wayward thoughts, he tried to focus on the few files littering his desk, not on the woman moving closer.

"Take this," she said, holding out a glass of water and two tablets. "For your headache."

"How did..." he started to ask before a smile crept over his features. "Of course. You know me too well, don't you?"

"Sometimes, I think so, but others I'm not sure, sir." 

He took the medication she offered him and swallowed without any complaints, knowing she'd only stand there and glare until he did as she told him. 

"When's the last time you had some time off?" he asked, the thought suddenly occurring to him.

She smiled as she admitted, "About as long as you have, sir. Nearly a year, I believe."

He didn't speak for a moment, dumbstruck that they'd both worked so long without any time off. He understood his motivation but not hers. 

"Maybe it's time you had one, then, Nathalie. If my schedule is light tomorrow, why don't you take the time off? I'm sure I can manage." 

"Thank you, sir, but I'm fine. I'll take a day off when you finally succeed in doing the same." She turned away from him, heading back to her desk beyond his door in the gallery. Over her shoulder, she added, "That goes for both your identities."

A chuckle escaped despite his best efforts. 

"Touché," he whispered, returning to the work awaiting him on his desk.

A smile teased at his lips for the rest of the day.


	7. A Day Off for All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place after the confrontation between Nathalie, Gabriel, and Marinette in The Making of Adrinette concerning Adrien, his schedule, and Gabriel's attitude toward the younger man.

Having a day off had been a welcome change for Nathalie. Maybe not at first, but as the day wore on, she had to agree with Gabriel's assessment. Both of them had been working too hard, ignoring their need to seek out other outlets beyond work itself. 

Her feet dipped into the warm, swirling water of the spa, her mind relaxing along with her body while the pedicurist did her magic. 

Nathalie couldn't remember the last time she allowed for such pampering, her phone tucked away and out of sight. She knew no one would be calling her that day, Gabriel spending the time with Adrien. 

A smile flitted across her features, softening them as she thought of the two most important men in her life. One had become like a son over the past few years while his father had become something more than a boss to her. Both had slinked their way into her heart, unknown to her until after the damage had been done. She cared more than she ever dared admit to either of them.

"Someone's in love," the pedicurist mentioned, her head still bent over Nathalie's foot. 

Stilling, Nathalie gazed down at the woman before her, wondering how anyone could possibly know something so personal. She'd never given anyone any indication, especially the men in her life how she felt. How could this woman be so perceptive?

A chuckle met her silence as the woman's eyes looked up. "I've been doing this for ten years. I know love when I see it." 

"It's not going to end well," Nathalie whispered.

"Some don't, but others do. You never know until you put your heart out there and take a chance."

Could she take that chance? 

She knew Gabriel still kept secrets. She kept a few of her own. Could they work past those secrets and become something more? Was she really willing to try? Was he?

The pedicurist made quick work of Nathalie's feet, releasing her within ten minutes with a new coat of color and shaped nails that would rival some of the models Nathalie worked near. 

Thanking the woman, Nathalie exited the shop and headed toward the Agreste mansion. She called herself all kinds of fool for heading back to the one place she swore to avoid on her few days off. She blamed it on her curiosity. 

The front door swung open without protest, allowing her entrance into the grand gallery. 

No sounds could be heard from her position.

She didn't know if that was a good or bad thing, her gaze darting for any sign of the Agreste men.

Disappointment filled her as she moved closer to her desk, intent on picking up a few things she'd left behind the other day. That was her excuse anyway as she soon had them in hand and made her way back to the front door.

"Nathalie?" Adrien asked from his position near the dining room.

"Hello, Adrien. How are you?" She straightened her purse, not wanting to appear too pathetic to the young man. 

"I've been better, but I'm doing well otherwise." His gaze didn't meet hers though as he spoke, almost as if he blamed her. 

She frowned, knowing he had a reason to dislike and distrust her. She'd been Marinette's access to his father. She'd known a few details about Marinette's plans to confront Gabriel. She could have stopped it without any problem yet she hadn't done so, wanting something to give between the two most stubborn men she'd ever met.

"Would you like to join us? I'm sure my father wouldn't mind."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Adrien. I should go. This is supposed to be your time with your father." She took a step toward the door again, intent on leaving.

She never made it.

"Please stay, Nathalie."

This time, Gabriel spoke, standing beside Adrien and looking at her with something akin to hope and something else. Something she wasn't sure she wanted to name yet drew her in.

Nodding, she changed course, knowing her day off had taken a turn she hadn't expected. 

She'd soon find she didn't regret it, either.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Tumblr](http://scribblingmama.tumblr.com)


End file.
